Friday, October 26, 2012

NC Gets
$15M to Help Small Businesses
North Carolina has received $15.2 million in its second round of funding from
the U.S. Department of Treasury State Small Business Credit Initiative,
according to a news release issued by Gov. Beverly Perdue’s office. The
initiative makes capital available for small businesses throughout North
Carolina.Read
more.

North Carolina Ranked Seventh for Total Income Growth
When it comes to personal income growth, North Carolina ranked seventh in the
nation during the second quarter, according to a recent report drawing from the
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis' data. Texas ranked No. 1. Read
more.

Raleigh, Charlotte Among
‘U.S. Markets to Watch’
The Urban Land Institute’s recent “Emerging Trends in Real Estate Forecast”
report ranked Raleigh No. 11 and Charlotte No. 17 for the top U.S. markets to
watch in 2013. The No. 1 market to keep an eye on: San Francisco. Read
more.

Big News You Don’t
Want to Miss: RPR Launches to All REALTORS® November 1
Realtors Property Resource® (RPR®) is pleased to announce that beginning on
November 1, 2012, the RPR member benefit will be available to ALL REALTORS®
across the country. If you haven’t heard of RPR, it’s a national property
database from NAR designed to provide REALTORS® with advanced technology tools
and features that can be utilized to provide your clients and customers with
dynamic reports and analytics which can assist them in making better-informed
decisions when buying or selling properties.
For an overview of the power
of RPR and information on how to access it, NAR is hosting a webinar on
Thursday October 25, 2012. To register for this webinar, click
here.

LEGISLATIVEEPA Lead Paint Rulemaking: Delayed Three Years
The Environmental Protection Agency has further delayed its plans to propose
and then finalize a Lead Renovation Repair and Painting (LRRP) rule for
potential lead-based paint hazards in commercial and public buildings. Read The Source
blog for details on NAR’s efforts thus far, including letters to EPA and
oversight from the Hill which have resulted in a significant delay in EPA’s
issuance of new regulations.

TECHNOLOGYLinkedIn Gives Company Pages a Facelift
LinkedIn is rolling out a major redesign
for the 2 million Company Pages on the popular professional networking site.
That means business owners will have additional ways to market their brands,
and connect with clients and partners, according to LinkedIn. When was the last
time you updated your profile? LinkedIn is your digital resume – be sure your
profile represents who you are, the skills you bring to the table, and a
history of your experience in the commercial real estate industry.

RESEARCHCommercial Real Estate Prices Rising
At least in regards to prime commercial real estate properties, prices have
been making a very nice recovery. Commercial real estate prices in September
were up 6.2 percent from one year ago, and are now very close to the peak
prices achieved in 2007. NAR’s Chief Economist Lawrence Yun delves deeper into
what this means for the industry in NAR’s
Economist Outlook Blog.

EVENTSREALTOR® Annual Conference & Expo
Are you aware of all the great commercial
sessions & activities planned for this year’s event? Highlights include
the Commercial Caffeinated Networking Breakfast, Commercial Red Carpet
Reception, Commercial Block at the Expo, and Education sessions on 1031
Exchanges, Abandoned Property, Financial Analysis and more! There is still time
to register and attend – we look forward to meeting you there! Helpful Tip: Use
the Conference Scheduler to plan your entire conference experience.

Friday, October 19, 2012

Realtors Property Resource® (RPR®) is
pleased to announce that beginning on November 1, 2012, the RPR member benefit
will be available to ALL REALTORS® across the country. If you haven’t heard of
RPR, it’s a national property database from NAR designed to provide REALTORS®
with advanced technology tools and features that can be utilized to provide
your clients and customers with dynamic reports and analytics which can assist
them in making better-informed decisions when buying or selling properties.

For an overview of the power
of RPR and information on how to access it, NAR is hosting a webinar on
Thursday October 25, 2012. To register for this webinar, click
here.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

October 12th was the last day
to register to vote in person on Election Day. However, if you missed the
registration deadline, you may register in person and then vote at a one-stop
absentee voting site in your county of residence, during the one-stop absentee
voting period, which will be Oct. 18-Nov. 3. To register and vote under this
statutory provision, you must:

Sign and complete a voter registration form, attesting
that the person meets each eligibility requirement under law. Such
attestation is signed under penalty of a Class I felony.

Provide proof of residence by presenting a document
which shows the person's name and current address in the County.

Acceptable
identification includes: a North Carolina drivers license; a photo
identification from a government agency; or a current utility bill, bank
statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

The Greensboro­/High Point area and Asheville were recently
named among the best metros for job prospects this fall.

Meanwhile, Durham was named for having one of the
healthiest economies, Raleigh was named the No. 1 market
for retail job growth, and Charlotte was named among the
most popular relocation destinations.

In September, the unemployment rate in the United
States fell to 7.8 percent, which marks the first time the rate
has fallen below 8 percent in nearly four years.

In September, consumer confidence surged to the highest
level since February, a sign that Americans are feeling better
about the economy

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

The City of Raleigh is kicking off
the Blount St.- Person St. Corridor Study with a public meeting Monday, October
22nd at the AIA Headquarters, located at 14 E. Peace St.

Registration begins at 6:30 pm, with
the meeting lasting from 7-8:30 pm.

The corridor study will focus on and identify multi-modal transportation and streetscape design options and
programmatic strategies to improve the corridors, with a particular focus on
how transportation and streetscape strategies impact placemaking and economic development.
This first meeting will focus on the community's view of the corridors as they
currently exist, and their vision for what they could be in the future.

Friday, October 5, 2012

Come out and
celebrate 30 years of design excellence at the Sir Walter Raleigh Awards,
October 9, 2012

at the Nature Research Center, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, 121
West Jones Street, Raleigh.
Reception and refreshments begin at 6:00 p.m. and the award ceremonies begin at
7:00 p.m.
The guest speaker this year is Jim Goodman, President of Capitol Broadcasting
Corporation. RSVP today to rotonda.mckoy@raleighnc.gov